Walnuts and a Puddle

I drive by our old house often since my parents live on the same street. On one such drive-by I was reminded of yet another thing I will not miss from that house. The Black walnut trees lining the front property are gorgeous in the fall as their leaves change from a young green to a very vibrant yellow. The sight of those gorgeous trees always brought a warm smile to my face. It was the plop, plop of nuts hitting the tops of vehicles or the hard thumps as the nuts hit the driveway which were tiresome. Just walking across the lawn took extra care as a foot trying to balance on one of those nuisance nuts could sprain an ankle of at the least make exasperating words escape a persons lips.
Another silly memory is of the day MANY years ago, where we had to repair a sunken driveway. Part of the driveway is built over an irrigation ditch. One day, after years of being a good driveway, the pressure of A VERY LARGE and HEAVY piece of construction equipment used by the city was too much for our old fragile driveway to withstand. For a short time we had a marvelously dangerous hole in our driveway. This specific memory is of the day the cement was poured and two adult men were in the front yard arguing on how to level the wet cement as to prevent water from accumulating on the surface when bad weather would arrive. Neither of them would listen to me or my idea. I could see that what they were planning was not the solution to this pending problem. My experience with the male species is that it is usually more important to 'just get it done' than it is to get it done correctly. My suggestion was completely overlooked. From that day forward whenever it rained, snowed or anything of that like, I was reminded of that day and that conversation and how two men would not, could not put a bit more thought and care in the task at hand. Yes- EVERY time I was out sloshing water and slush from that spot in the driveway I was reminded of how bull-headed some men can be.
So as I drive by this home with walnuts in a pool of water in the driveway, I smile and am glad it does not belong to me.
Life really is grand. :)